Our Faculty

Susan Brasher

Associate Professor
PhD, RN, CPNP, FAAN
Susan Brasher
SOCIAL LINKS

Bio

Dr. Susan Brasher is a dedicated researcher, educator, and clinician with extensive experience in pediatric nursing across both inpatient and outpatient settings. As a tenured Associate Professor, she is committed to advancing pediatric health outcomes through research, teaching, and community engagement. Her clinical background includes working as a Registered Nurse in a pediatric specialty hospital and Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (CPNP) in the primary care setting, providing comprehensive care to children and families across diverse healthcare environments. Dr. Brasher has several years of experience teaching pediatric nursing to undergraduate and graduate nursing students, where she is recognized for her passion for mentoring future nurses and fostering excellence in nursing education and clinical practice. She earned her PhD in Nursing from the University of Florida, where her scholarly work focused on pediatric neurodevelopmental disorders, with a particular emphasis on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). An accomplished researcher, Dr. Brasher has served as both Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-Investigator (Co-I) on numerous funded research grants totaling more than 12 million dollars focused on autism spectrum disorder and the reduction of health disparities among children and young adults on the autism spectrum, as well as improving pediatric health outcomes. Her work reflects a deep dedication to patient-centered research, interprofessional collaboration, and improving healthcare access and outcomes for underserved populations. Since 2018, she has served as a PCORI Ambassador, working closely with community members and stakeholders to expand awareness, engagement, and participation in patient-centered outcomes research. Dr. Brasher was appointed to be the Director of Talk With Me Baby at Emory University NHWSN in 2016 by Dean Linda McCauley, where she continues to lead integration and evaluation of the nationally recognized program focused on promoting early brain development and rich social-emotional interactions among families in academic, hospital, and community settings. 

Areas of Interest

  • Acute And Chronic Care
  • Caregiver Well Being
  • Child And Adolescent Health
  • Health Disparities
  • Neurocognitive Neuroscience
  • Teaching and Learning
  • Technology
  • Vulnerable Populations

Teaching

I have more than 15 years of experience teaching prelicensure, postlicesure, and graduate PhD courses. I am highly enthusiastic about sharing my knowledge and passion for pediatric nursing and pedagogy with the next generation of nurses, nurse practitioners, and nurse scientists. 

Research

I have worked closely with community members, clinicians, and stakeholders for the past 23 years to improve healthcare delivery, as well as health outcomes of children and young adults. Much of this work has been funded by Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), NIH, HRSA, AHRQ, and private foundations, among others. I have served as the PI of seven implementation science grants totaling $1.5 million dollars aimed at partnering with clinicians and community members to identify the organizational and individual characteristics that lead to enhanced implementation of community-based interventions. This work has led to the identification of contextual factors critically important for successful implementation in community, academic, and hospital settings. My program of research is positioned within the intersection of patient-centered outcomes research, community-based participatory research, and implementation science. My methodological expertise has contributed to more than 30 funded studies, serving as PI/MPI, Co-I, and lead methodologist consultant. Combining these approaches has allowed me to develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based, culturally and contextually appropriate community-driven research across diverse pediatric populations.

Publications

  1. Burrell, T.L., Gillespie, S., Pickard, K.E., Brasher, S., Buckley, D., Sharp, W.G., Scahill, L. (2023). A survey of community providers on feeding Disorders in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-023-06013-7
  2. Pickard, K., Burrell, T. L., Brasher, S., Buckley, D., Gillespie, S., Sharp, W., & Scahill, L. (2023). Examining adaptations necessary to support the implementation of a parent-mediated intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder and moderate feeding problems. Autism, 0(0).https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613231166181
  3. Shackleford, J., Nelson, J., & Brasher, S. (2023). Nurses' perceptions of a novel rooming-in program for infants with critical congenital heart disease. American Journal of Critical Care, 32(1), 54–61. https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2023790
  4. Buckner, S., Gallego, R., McNaughton, D., Brasher, S., Stanley, J., Jacobs, A., Hamborsky, J., & Schillie, S. (2022). Addressing immunizations in nursing education: Immunization resources for undergraduate nursing. Journal of Professional Nursing, 42, 173-177.
  5. Brasher, S., Muirhead, L., & Stapel-Wax, J. (2022). Racial and ethnic disparities in autism spectrum disorder: Implications for care. The Nursing Clinics of North America, 57, 489-499. doi: 10.1016/j.cnur.2022.04.014
  6. Muirhead, L., Brasher, S., Broadnax, D., & Chandler, R. (2022). A Framework for Evaluating Social Determinants of Health Curriculum Integration. Journal of Professional Nursing, 39, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.profnurs.2021.12.004
  7. Robertson, B., Brasher, S., & Wright, P. (2022). An approach to integrating social determinants of health in an accelerated pre-licensure academic-practice partnership program. Nurse Educator, 47(2), 130-131. doi: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000001111
  8. Morgan, L., Close, S., Siller, M., Kushner, E., & Brasher, S. (2021). Teachers’ experiences: Social emotional engagement- knowledge and skills. Educational Research, 64(1), 41-59. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2021.1988865
  9. Brasher, S., Middour-Oxler, Chamber, R., & Calamaro, C. (2021). Caring for adults with autism spectrum disorder in the emergency department: Lessons learned from pediatric emergency colleagues. Journal of Emergency Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jen.2020.12.013
  10. Brasher, S., Becklenberg, A., Darcy Mahoney, A., Ross, K., & Stapel-Wax, J. (2021). Integrating early brain science and skills into prelicensure nursing curriculum to promote parent-child interaction. Nurse Educator. doi: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000000983
  11. Muirhead, L., Brasher, S., Vena, C., Hall, P., & Cadet, A. (2021). Assimilation of expert clinicians into the academy: A competency-based faculty development plan. Nurse Educator, 46(2), 121-125. doi: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000000859
  12. Shackleford, J., Chambers, R., Nelson, J., Scott, M., & Brasher, S#. (2020). Nurses’ perceptions of rooming-in for caregivers of infants with critical congenital heart disease (CCHD). Journal of Pediatric Nursing. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2020.08.008
  13. Brasher, S., & Stapel-Wax, J. (2020). Autism spectrum disorder for the primary care provider: Importance of early diagnosis and intervention. Advances in Family Practice Nursing, 2, 159-168. doi: 10.1016/j.yfpn.2020.01.006
  14. Blumling, A., Brasher, S., & Stapel-Wax, J. (2019). Engaging parents of children with autism spectrum disorder to identify rural health disparities and factors related to delayed diagnosis and treatment. International Journal of Child Health and Human Development, 12(4), 379-389. https://www.proquest.com/docview/2445582725/A655403544164799PQ/1
  15. Close, S.M., Brasher, S.N., Blumling, A., Talboy, A., & Martyn, K. (2019). Transition of health care in children with chronic health conditions. Advance in Family Practice Nursing, 1, 201-210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfpn.2019.01.004
  16. Elder, J.H., Kreider, C.K., Brasher, S.N., & Ansell, M. (2017). Clinical impact of early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder on the prognosis and parent-child relationships. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 10, 283-292. doi: https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S117499
  17. Elder, J.H., Brasher, S.N., & Alexander, B.A. (2016). Identifying the barriers to early diagnosis and treatment in underserved individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their families: A qualitative study. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 00, 1-9. doi: 10.3109/01612840.2016.1153174
  18. Brasher, S.N., & Elder, J.H. (2015). Development of an internet survey to determine barriers to early diagnosis and intervention in autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Neurology and Neuroscience, 1, 1-5. doi: 10.21767/2171-6625.s10007

Awards & Affiliations

In recognition of my commitment to teaching excellence, I was awarded the Provost's Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education in 2026. Additionally, I was awarded the 2026 Vulcan Teaching Excellence Award and High Five Distinguished Faculty Award (2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023). The below awards also highlight my dedication to research, teaching, and service:

  • Fellowship of the American Academy of Nursing
  • Distinguished Faculty Award
  • Excellence in Collaboration Award
  • Research Poster Award
  • PhD research poster presentation award
  • PhD Dissertation Award
  • Outstanding Research Presentation
  • Jonas Nurse Leader Scholar
  • The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
  • Golden Key International Honor Society

Selected Media Coverage

Patient-Centered Project Aims to Fill Gap in Addressing Transitioning to Adulthood in Autism Spectrum Disorder
https://news.emory.edu/stories/2018/01/nursing_brasher_pcori_autism/campus.html

Nurturing Engagement in Stakeholders on Transitioning in Autism Spectrum Disorder (NEST)
https://www.pcori.org/research-results/2018/nurturing-engagement-stakeholders-transitioning-autism-spectrum-disorder-nest

Forming Partnerships Among Key Stakeholders to Address Transitioning to Adulthood in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
https://www.pcori.org/research-results/2017/forming-partnerships-among-key-stakeholders-address-transitioning-adulthood

Breaking the Cycle of Autism Disparities
https://www.breakthecycleprogram.org/break-the-cycle-of-autism